Now that Christmas is over, it’s time to begin thinking about goals for the coming year. This season of resolution making often has people diving all in on January 1st, only to give up on their resolutions by the end of January. Promises to “eat healthier” and “exercise more” rank at the very top of common resolution lists, but people rarely see any long term success in term of living a healthier lifestyle.  

Here’s why so many people fail to reach their own goals when it comes to getting healthy…they are looking for a quick fix that magically melts fat away without any work.

However, there is truly no way to get fit and healthy without tightening up your nutrition and doing regular, challenging workouts. 

There is no magic pill to make you healthier…no wrap to melt away your midsection…no special shake that burns fat without a clean diet and intentional exercise…there’s truly no quick fix.

But, there are plenty of people who do make a life-long change towards health.

Here’s how to be successful in January:

Focus on a meaningful why.

Set a long term goal that has more to do with your overall health than with how you look. Focus on how you want to feel and what you want to be able to do, as opposed to what you want to look like. Eventually, if you are fueling your body well and working out hard, you will see the physical changes. But, the non-scale victories are what help you to live a healthy lifestyle long-term.

Get accountability.

Find someone who will keep you accountable to your resolution to live healthier lifestyle. That could be a spouse, a friend or a personal trainer. Another option is obviously my FASTer Way to Fat Loss program. The January 9th round is already full, but I will be opening another one later in January, so be sure to join the waiting list.

Come up with a sustainable action plan that focuses on lifestyle.

Quit looking for the quick fixes, and invest in something that will help you to make changes to your lifestyle. Focus on things that are sustainable. Intense workouts 6 or 7 days per week, and food stuffed into tiny containers is not something you want to be doing forever. Look for simple changes that can be made and sustained well past January.

Be Realistic.

Set goals that are challenging but realistic. Don’t under sell yourself, but do be sure that it is an actual possibility to reach your health and fitness goal in a healthy way. For example, it would not be wise to set a goal of losing 50 pounds by the end of January. While it is technically possible, it is incredibly unhealthy to have such rapid weight loss. Focus on the long term and set incremental goals along the way.

Hard work in the gym, and clean eating in the kitchen are the only things that will get you the results you are looking for. Supplements and shakes can certainly aid in your pursuit of a healthy lifestyle,  but they are not going to be some kind of magic bullet that all of a sudden makes you healthy and fit. They can only enhance an already healthy lifestyle! Quick fixes don’t exist…if they did, I’d be eating a whole lot more donuts, friend. But, real life change does exist. My clients have experienced it through my FASTer Way to Fat Loss program, so I know it is possible! But, no one gets healthy, fit and strong without hard work and intentionality, so look at your long term goals and start taking steps towards them in a realistic way.